Look-a-Like Wednesday

Is it just me or do Cornell West and David Crowder look like each other?

R. I. P. Louis Bellson

As a kid, this guy blew me away! I wish we would've had Youtube back in the day! His influence is threaded throughout the great ones: The Appice brothers, Billy Cobham, Dave Weckle and on and on.

Louis was a solo extraordinaire. While not as flamboyant as Buddy Rich, who always seemed angry at his kit, Louis put on a "happy show". He just seemed to have so much fun while tearing up the skins! Buddy was a haunted house while Louis was Disneyland.

His friends say he was the same way in life. It's always sad when an icon passes - today is such a day.

Rest in peace, Louis Bellson, and thanks for the memories!

dh

I Want a Press Corp Like Obama's

I wish I had a press corp like President Obama's! They would fawn over me, ask me simple questions and NEVER follow-up or act huffy!

Come on already! Am I the only one who caught that last night? I was blown away by the softballs lobbed at the new prez. I know it's customary to be "nice" at the beginning. It's the honeymoon. The press has been ogling Mr. Obama for four years and now that they've officially "tied the knot", they're just all ga-ga . . . seriously . . . all syrupy and gooshy! Yuck already!

Also, I don't recall such a rigid, set order on who asks questions when. And, again, with NO FOLLOW-UP! How much more staged can this get? Honest to God, I'm not a commu-phobe, but it sounded so "Soviet"! Unbelievable!

I'm sure NOT against the president but I want to hear substance. Last night he offered meaningless words - ambiguities. He said things like, ". . . and if we have a bad teacher we need to fire them, after they've been offered adequate training." What? Is our local school board supposed to pay for that? He said, "I don't remember what Joe and I were talking about." Not ONE of the reporters protested!

I want a press corp like that! Non-critical, non-thinking, robotic, fawning - a press corp that has a CRUSH on me! Just sayin' . . .

Peace and love.

dh

HBO's "The Trials of Ted Haggard" is NOT recreational TV!

Poor Ted Haggard! Again, he's back in the spotlight - not like he's on stage but like the bloodhounds are howling at his newly found scent, complete with helicopters buzzing overhead and that infamous searchlight, tracking him down! "Quick - the fugitive has surfaced! He's moving again!"

This month, HBO is airing "The Trials of Ted Haggard", a documentary following Ted and his family from their move immediately following his ousting to the last couple of months. He's become an insurance salesman and life just seems to suck! Of course, he was a swindler. Of course, he was a huckster. Of course, he was a hustler. Of course, he was a hypocrite. Of course, he hurt a LOT of people!

But here's a man, with a wife and kids, trying to find his place AFTER scandal. Is there such a place? I live in Baton Rouge, home of another such scandalous preacher: Jimmy Swaggart. He had the biggest "ministry" in the world in the mid-eighties. He fell about as far as one can fall. However, he seems to have learned his lessons, cleaned out his wounds and moved on. I hope Ted finds a way to do the same. I hope his family survives. I hope they all find peace.

Jimmy was a bit harsh - not so much now. Locals refer to this effect as the "pre-humiliation" and "post-humiliation" phases of Swaggart's life. Ted, however, was NOT a harsh preacher. He was very gracious. If Jesus' words mean anything, then the way Ted judged others is the way he is judged. So, God's not Ted's problem. TED - and other PEOPLE - are Ted's problem. In spite of the helicopters, spotlights, paparazzi and circus that has become your life, I pray you find healing, Ted Haggard. May you live to fight another day!

Peace and love . . .

dh

P.S. Thanks Andrew Jones for the pic (tallskinnykiwi.com)!